News and Notes: Thursday Afternoon Edition

News and Notes for Thursday afternoon...

• The Indianapolis Star reports:

Former Cathedral standout Errick Peck considering transfer to Purdue

Indianapolis Star

Errick Peck sees some correlation from the position he’s in now and the one he faced four years ago.

In 2009, the 6-6 Peck was one of the final two players selected to the IndyStar Indiana All-Star roster. All he did was put up 30 points and 21 rebounds in a weekend sweep of the Kentucky All-Stars.

“It wasn’t necessarily about proving that I belonged, because I knew I did,” Peck said Thursday. “I worked my tail off beforehand was ready to go out and play. That’s the same thing I plan to do now.”

Peck, a senior at Cornell, is considering a transfer to Purdue, where he would have one year of eligibility and be able to play immediately. Peck injured his knee as a junior and was unable to play the entire season, but the Ivy League does not allow eligibility to fifth-year players who have graduated.

So Peck, who averaged 9.7 points and 4.8 rebounds for Cornell as a senior, is looking elsewhere while also completing finals for his 20-credit hour load this semester. He took a one-day visit to Purdue on Wednesday and plans to visit both Duquesne and Xavier next week.

Purdue coach Matt Painter, who watched Peck plenty while recruiting his high school teammate Kelsey Barlow, was up front with him.

“He said he wasn’t going to promise me anything,” Peck said. “He gave an honest answer. There’s a certain risk for me if I go there because I could probably play more at a lower level. But I also want to play in a bigger conference and on a bigger stage and have a chance to play closer to my family.”

Peck, 21, said Painter offered him a scholarship.

Cornell made it to the NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen Peck’s freshman year under Steve Donahue. But Donahue was hired away by Boston College and Cornell hasn’t had the same success since. Peck averaged 11 points as a sophomore, but the knee injury going into his junior year proved to be a major setback.

“I’ve met so many people here and made so many connections,” Peck said Thursday from the Cornell campus. “I have an excellent Ivy League education. From a basketball standpoint, it’s been difficult at times. I’ve seen the hardships of college basketball, but I think it’ll make me a better person in the long run.”

Peck said he’s trying to work in the visits to Duquesne and Xavier next week, but is still unsure of the dates.

“I’m trying to work them around studying for finals,” he said. “I’m visiting both, I just haven’t talked it all out with the coaches yet.”